diff --git a/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts b/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
index a290bc51c9..f59f2b2372 100644
--- a/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
+++ b/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ import { ProgressController } from '../../progress';
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 import { internalCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
 import type { CallLog, EventData, Mode, Source } from './recorderTypes';
-import { BrowserContext } from '../../browserContext';
 import { isUnderTest } from '../../../utils/utils';
 import * as mime from 'mime';
 import { installAppIcon } from '../../chromium/crApp';
+import { findChromiumChannel } from '../../../utils/registry';
 
 declare global {
   interface Window {
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter {
     await mainFrame.goto(internalCallMetadata(), 'https://playwright/index.html');
   }
 
-  static async open(inspectedContext: BrowserContext): Promise<RecorderApp> {
+  static async open(sdkLanguage: string): Promise<RecorderApp> {
     const recorderPlaywright = (require('../../playwright').createPlaywright as typeof import('../../playwright').createPlaywright)('javascript', true);
     const args = [
       '--app=data:text/html,',
@@ -94,19 +94,11 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter {
     ];
     if (process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT)
       args.push(`--remote-debugging-port=${process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT}`);
-    let channel: string | undefined;
-    let executablePath: string | undefined;
-    if (inspectedContext._browser.options.isChromium) {
-      channel = inspectedContext._browser.options.channel;
-      if (!channel)
-        executablePath = inspectedContext._browser.options.customExecutablePath;
-    }
     const context = await recorderPlaywright.chromium.launchPersistentContext(internalCallMetadata(), '', {
-      channel,
-      executablePath,
+      channel: findChromiumChannel(sdkLanguage),
       args,
       noDefaultViewport: true,
-      headless: !!process.env.PWTEST_CLI_HEADLESS || (isUnderTest() && !inspectedContext._browser.options.headful),
+      headless: !!process.env.PWTEST_CLI_HEADLESS || (isUnderTest() && !process.env.HEADFUL),
       useWebSocket: !!process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT
     });
     const controller = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), context._browser);
diff --git a/src/server/supplements/recorderSupplement.ts b/src/server/supplements/recorderSupplement.ts
index 07138f4b08..e0695cd9eb 100644
--- a/src/server/supplements/recorderSupplement.ts
+++ b/src/server/supplements/recorderSupplement.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export class RecorderSupplement implements InstrumentationListener {
   }
 
   async install() {
-    const recorderApp = await RecorderApp.open(this._context);
+    const recorderApp = await RecorderApp.open(this._context._browser.options.sdkLanguage);
     this._recorderApp = recorderApp;
     recorderApp.once('close', () => {
       this._debugger.resume(false);
diff --git a/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts b/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
index be44bd8694..03457ec524 100644
--- a/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
+++ b/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import { isUnderTest, download } from '../../../utils/utils';
 import { internalCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
 import { ProgressController } from '../../progress';
 import { BrowserContext } from '../../browserContext';
-import { registry } from '../../../utils/registry';
+import { findChromiumChannel } from '../../../utils/registry';
 import { installAppIcon } from '../../chromium/crApp';
 import { debugLogger } from '../../../utils/debugLogger';
 
@@ -134,32 +134,9 @@ export class TraceViewer {
     if (isUnderTest())
       args.push(`--remote-debugging-port=0`);
 
-    // For Chromium, fall back to the stable channels of popular vendors for work out of the box.
-    // Null means no installation and no channels found.
-    let channel = null;
-    if (traceViewerBrowser === 'chromium') {
-      for (const name of ['chromium', 'chrome', 'msedge']) {
-        try {
-          registry.findExecutable(name)!.executablePathOrDie(traceViewerPlaywright.options.sdkLanguage);
-          channel = name === 'chromium' ? undefined : name;
-          break;
-        } catch (e) {
-        }
-      }
-
-      if (channel === null) {
-        // TODO: language-specific error message, or fallback to default error.
-        throw new Error(`
-==================================================================
-Please run 'npx playwright install' to install Playwright browsers
-==================================================================
-`);
-      }
-    }
-
     const context = await traceViewerPlaywright[traceViewerBrowser as 'chromium'].launchPersistentContext(internalCallMetadata(), '', {
       // TODO: store language in the trace.
-      channel: channel as any,
+      channel: findChromiumChannel(traceViewerPlaywright.options.sdkLanguage),
       args,
       noDefaultViewport: true,
       headless,
diff --git a/src/utils/registry.ts b/src/utils/registry.ts
index cd8f83a928..3efc2a58a3 100644
--- a/src/utils/registry.ts
+++ b/src/utils/registry.ts
@@ -726,4 +726,32 @@ export async function installBrowsersForNpmInstall(browsers: string[]) {
   await registry.install(executables);
 }
 
+export function findChromiumChannel(sdkLanguage: string): string | undefined {
+  // Fall back to the stable channels of popular vendors to work out of the box.
+  // Null means no installation and no channels found.
+  let channel = null;
+  for (const name of ['chromium', 'chrome', 'msedge']) {
+    try {
+      registry.findExecutable(name)!.executablePathOrDie(sdkLanguage);
+      channel = name === 'chromium' ? undefined : name;
+      break;
+    } catch (e) {
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (channel === null) {
+    const installCommand = buildPlaywrightCLICommand(sdkLanguage, `install chromium`);
+    const prettyMessage = [
+      `No chromium-based browser found on the system.`,
+      `Please run the following command to download one:`,
+      ``,
+      `    ${installCommand}`,
+      ``,
+      `<3 Playwright Team`,
+    ].join('\n');
+    throw new Error('\n' + wrapInASCIIBox(prettyMessage, 1));
+  }
+  return channel;
+}
+
 export const registry = new Registry(require('../../browsers.json'));